Drug Treatment and Testing Orders. Guidance for Schemes

Transcription

1 Drug Treatment and Testing Orders Guidance for Schemes

2 Drug Treatment and Testing Orders Guidance for Schemes The Scottish Government, Edinburgh 2011

3 Crown copyright 2011 You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit or Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This document is available from our website at ISBN: (web only) The Scottish Government St Andrew s House Edinburgh EH1 3DG Produced for the Scottish Government by APS Group Scotland DPPAS11814 (07/11) Published by the Scottish Government, July

4 CONTENTS Section Page No. 1. Background 1 2. Aims and Objectives 1 3. Purpose 1 4. Child Protection Issues 2 5. Legislative Framework 3 6. Nature of the Order 4 7. Targeting and Assessment 5 8. Electronic Monitoring 9 9. Social Enquiry Reports Court Procedure (Sheriff Court) Treatment Testing Supervision Enforcement Transfers within Scotland Exit Strategies Monitoring 26 Annex A Targeting Summary 27 Annex B DTTOs and Other Disposals 28 Annex C Exit Strategy Plan 29 Annex D - Checklist re Substance Misuse and Impact on Parenting 32 Annex E - Effects of Drug use on Pregnancy 36 Forms

5 DRUG TREATMENT AND TESTING ORDERS: GUIDANCE 1. BACKGROUND Drug Treatment and Testing Orders were introduced by the Crime and Disorder Act Scottish pilot sites were established in Glasgow and Fife and were subject to research and evaluation from the Centre for Social Work Research at the University of Stirling. This research, published in October 2002, reported broadly positive outcomes. A study by the University of Stirling on longer term reconviction rates was published in October Since the introduction of the pilot sites the availability of DTTOs has been rolled out to a large number of courts around the country. Plans are now being made for the order to be available to the High Court, all sheriff courts and the Stipendiary Magistrates Court by June AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The emphasis of a DTTO is on drugs treatment as the primary means of reducing offending behaviour rather than the specific offence focused approach of a probation order. Specifically the objectives of a DTTO are to: Reduce or eliminate an offender s dependency or propensity to misuse drugs; Achieve positive changes in the scale and frequency of drug related offending The Order introduces unique aspects e.g. drug testing and regular court reviews as features of a community disposal. 3. PURPOSE The Drug Testing and Treatment Orders is a community disposal, which is particularly effective in making progress with adult drug misusing offenders in respect of: Positive changes in levels of reported drug misuse from before, during, at completion of, and after treatment on order. Positive changes in the scale and frequency of drug related offending from before, during, at completion of, and after treatment on order. Given the likely nature of drug misuse and related offending, those subject to a DTTO will often have ongoing health and social care needs related to their dependency. This will require reliable arrangements for ongoing medical and other support services post DTTO. Health related benefits as a result of receiving treatment, including reduction in harmful behaviour and drug related illnesses, particularly blood borne viruses such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, etc. 3

6 4. CHILD PROTECTION ISSUES The very nature of the work of the DTTO team means that staff will come into contact with drug users who are parents and families where drug users are present. The safety and well being of children is of paramount importance at all times. The practice of every DTTO scheme should reflect the recommendations contained in the Scottish Executive s good practice guidance on working with children & families affected by drug misuse Getting Our Priorities Right. It is the responsibility of local Child Protection Committees to develop local child protection procedures and for senior child protection managers to ensure that such procedures take account of the DTTO scheme as a potential source of referral. In turn it is particularly important that DTTO staff know what kinds of circumstances constitute grounds for concern about the safety of a child, and what to do about information or concerns regarding child welfare. DTTO managers should make sure that practitioners possess both sufficient awareness of child protection issues and access to appropriate training to enable them to correctly interpret what is potentially important information. DTTO managers should set out clear processes for staff to follow to communicate such information speedily and accurately to child protection colleagues. 4

7 5. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK The relevant parts of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, as they apply to Scotland, are sections and Schedule 6. Schedule 6 refers specifically to combinations of a Drug Testing and Treatment Order and a Restriction of Liberty Order. a) Legislative Criteria: the Act makes it clear that a DTTO may only be imposed where the court is satisfied that: The offender is dependant on or has propensity to misuse drugs, and The dependency or propensity requires and may be susceptible to treatment The offender is a suitable person to be subject to an order. There is no legal definition of a suitable person, but it is suggested that suitability is determined by such factors as motivation to address drug dependency and sufficient stability of location and circumstances, to enable both supervision and treatment to take effect. DTTOs, during the first two years operation of a DTTO scheme, should not normally be considered in respect of persons also known to have diagnosis of mental illness; however, they should make plans during this time for the eligibility of dual diagnosis cases to be considered from the scheme s third year of operation. Persons who have no stable living circumstances can also pose problems for newly established schemes unless these situations can be stabilised and sufficiently resolved prior to implementation of the order. However, it is desirable for schemes to extend their eligibility criteria to include such people by arranging suitably supportive arrangements from the scheme s third year of operation. Existing schemes that have been operating for over two years should now consider taking steps to extend their eligibility for accommodating dual diagnosis cases and persons lacking stable living circumstances by the end of The minimum period of the order is 6 months and the maximum is 3 years. Before a DTTO can be made, certain key criteria require to be met (i) The offender must be at least 16 years of age; (ii) The offence must not be one for which the sentence is fixed by law; (iii) The offence must have been committed after 30th September 1998; (iv) The court must first consider a Social Enquiry Report; and (v) The offender must consent to an order being made. In addition to the above, Section 47 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 provides for remote monitoring as a condition of a drug treatment and testing order. During the period specified in the condition (which cannot exceed twelve months) the offender must comply with such restrictions as to his/her movements as the court thinks fit. If it appears that a person subject to such a condition fails to comply with the requirement the supervising officer is required to report the non-compliance to the court. 5

8 6. NATURE OF THE ORDER Key features of a DTTO include: Regular drug testing is integral to the order Monthly review by the sentencers throughout the order Direct relationship between offender and sentencer Further offence is not an automatic breach Statutory limitations on the role of the supervising officer Greater emphasis on drugs treatment, rather than a specific offence-focused approach, as the primary means of reducing offending and promoting social inclusion. DTTO introduces a direct relationship between the sentencer and the offender. The sentencer has an important role in reinforcing the motivation of the offender, recognising good progress when it is made and warning where lapses in compliance and failures to progress occur. There is a sharp distinction in role between the supervising social worker and the treatment provider(s). The supervising social worker does not directly provide any treatment, but is the key link with the court and sentencer through provision of monthly progress reports, attendance at Review Hearings and institution of breach action. The supervising officer also fulfils the case management function and needs to have an overview of the whole Order, ensuring all its component parts and inputs are secured, consistent and fully co-ordinated. All Orders will have at least one treatment provider; there is the testing component; there may be group work programmes; and almost certainly, there will be social care & social inclusion issues as well as planning after care & ongoing support arrangements. This latter provision is important if problem dependence by the offender on the DTTO is to be avoided; it is a feature already apparent in some DTTO schemes in Scotland. The social worker has to see that all Court Review and other Reports they present to court fully reflect the views of each provider of service to the Order; case conferencing is one method through which a comprehensive assessment and view may be obtained and reported. Finally, the case management function will include issues of compliance and follow-up to non-compliance. The treatment provider(s), in addition to direct programme input, is responsible also for testing arrangements and for making recommendations to the supervising officer on variation or continued viability of treatment options. Treatment policy within DTTOs will reflect the requirement to pursue the reduction or elimination or the offender s dependency on or propensity to misuse drugs and offer: Programmes aimed at drug reduction Programmes aimed at abstention. The DTTO is a high tariff, highly invasive community disposal involving social work supervision. The order requires regular assessment and reporting to the court, to enable the sentencer to review progress. As such, the lead role lies with criminal justice social work services, and requires fully qualified social work staff to fulfil the role of supervising officer. 6

9 7. TARGETING AND ASSESSMENT From the Scottish experience of DTTOs to date, three distinctive features of the assessment process have proven to be helpful. Drug testing of the offender during the assessment period. Multi-disciplinary assessment of suitability for the order, involving criminal justice social workers, medical and addictions staff, together with other relevant treatment providers. Assessment in the community, subject in every case to judicial discretion, a period on bail, linked to drug testing, has proven useful in allowing realistic assessment. These features are thought to contribute significantly to relatively low incidence of breach of orders in the early stages of supervision. There has been a significant link between early problems with compliance and assessments of suitability carried out while the offender is in custody. Child Protection and Assessment While the DTTO scheme exists specifically to help the offender to reduce and desist from drug use and offending, the nature of this task will inevitably expose practitioners to much information about the lifestyle and circumstances of the offender. Child protection is always a shared responsibility, and as part of the assessment process, DTTO practitioners should become familiar with the offender s family composition, including whether or not he or she has child care responsibilities. Where the offender has such responsibilities, staff must remain vigilant to the effect that changes in the offender s lifestyle, behaviour and circumstances may have on any children in the household or otherwise in contact with the offender. If there are any concerns about the welfare of a child, these must be discussed with child & family social workers, and the future responsibility of the DTTO practitioner clearly defined. Staff should be familiar with the Assessment Framework contained in Appendix 2 of Getting Our Priorities Right, and the guidance relating to unborn children contained in Appendix 3 of Getting Our Priorities Right. These are included as Annexes D and E to this Guidance. Targeting: a) Legislative Criteria: the Act makes it clear that a DTTO may only be imposed where the court is satisfied that: The offender is dependant on or has propensity to misuse drugs, and The dependency or propensity requires and may be susceptible to treatment. b) Tariff: the offender should be facing the likelihood of custody due to: The seriousness of the offence, and pattern of offending, or The frequency c) Nature of Offence: many drug misusers support their addiction by acquisitive crime. However, the index offence need not directly be drug related. d) Outstanding Charges: outstanding charges are likely to be a feature of this group of offenders. This need not be a bar to imposition of a DTTO, but supervising Social Work staff should seek to be aware of outstanding criminal matters so that these can be addressed by the Court in the knowledge that the person is subject to a DTTO 7

10 e) In cases where there is a current DTTO imposed by the High Court a parallel DTTO should not be considered in the Sheriff Court. f) Pattern of Drugs Misuse: there is an established relationship between the pattern of serious drugs misuse and the pattern of offending. In addition the nature of that drug misuse must be susceptible to treatment: therefore cannabis misuse, for example, is unlikely to feature as a primary index drug. g) Personal Characteristics of Offenders: Age: experience suggests that young offenders are generally less likely to sustain the motivation required for a disposal of this kind. Also, there is a need for available treatment options to be age appropriate. However, it is important schemes keep abreast of local developments in this sphere as treatment opportunities continue to develop. Gender: the disposal is equally appropriate to men and women. Motivation: this is a highly invasive disposal of court which requires sustained commitment and determination from the offender. Offenders must be able to demonstrate some tangible evidence of motivation to tackle their addiction. They must understand and clearly consent to the demanding requirements of the order. Motivating offenders is an integral part of delivering effective supervision. Therefore, the assessment of a candidate s motivation to complete a DTTO should be based upon the capacity of the scheme to build motivation as well as on the degree of motivation presented by the offender when the assessment is carried out. This will ensure that offender motivation is assessed in its correct context as a changeable attribute rather than an absolute quality that is wholly present or wholly absent. The fact that an Order is intensive in its use of resources and in the demands that it would make on the offender s time implies a high tariff order, namely one which provides a direct alternative to probable imprisonment. This probability is likely to arise for 3 main reasons: a) Seriousness of offence; b) Pattern of repeat offending; or c) Known Court sentencing characteristics which suggest that risk of imprisonment may be high. The nature of the drug misuse is also important. It should be of a nature which significantly contributes to offending behaviour; it should be responsive to available treatment methodologies. It may also be desirable to focus on the forms of drug misuse which are most likely to be seriously problematic to the drug misuser in terms of adverse health and social effects. This would result in a priority focus on the following patterns of drug misuse: a) Misusing opiates, benzodiazepines, cocaine and/or crack cocaine (but this is subject to changing trends and circumstances); b) Polyuse (including alcohol) especially in chaotic circumstances; c) Use with high frequency or in high risk contexts such as injecting; d) Chronic long-term users whose pattern of misuse shows indications of worsening. 8

11 Using the above criteria it may be that there would be exclusion of those in early stage, nonestablished patterns of drug misuse, but who show signs of escalating to more serious, problematic use. The suitability of an individual for treatment can be affected by whether the individual concerned is contemplating or ready for change in their drug using behaviour. Therefore, the significant benefits of prevention of escalation if effective strongly support a case for inclusion provided effective assessment can identify readiness for change and provided the treatment spectrum can contain appropriate response options. For practical guidance on assessment practitioners may wish to consult the Assessment Chapter contained within the EIU Integrated Care document: Certain factors were formally identified which defined situations potentially unsuitable for DTTO targeting. Firstly, persons known to have, or believed to have, mental health problems. Secondly there are persons who are homeless or living in hostel accommodation where drug availability is problematic. However, it was noted that where a drug free environment can be secured within hostel-living circumstances there should be no exclusion of DTTO eligibility. Policy has evolved in respect to both areas now that experience of DTTOs has been accumulated in both Scotland & England. (i) Dual Diagnosis Cases Schemes should now work towards extending their eligibility criteria to include acceptance of dual diagnosis cases, where appropriate in individual circumstances, by the end of 2005 (or, for newly established schemes, by the end of their third year of operation). This recognises the growing prominence of the use of cocaine and crack in parts of Scotland, the growth of such drugs elsewhere in Scotland though the absolute numbers remain relatively small at this time, and the need to provide courts with an inclusive service of addictive drugs of misuse in relation to DTTOs. Each scheme should draw up a strategy as to how it intends to deal with crack & cocaine cases. Additional medical, especially psychiatric in-put, may be necessary or certainly needs to be available. Schemes may wish to consider the application of dual diagnosis assessment tools which are available. (ii) Homeless Persons or those staying in Hostels Schemes should also work towards extending their eligibility criteria to be inclusive where possible of accepting suitable and appropriate persons falling within this category, on the same time scales as those laid out for dual diagnosis cases outlined above. Each scheme will therefore wish to have in place a strategy as to how to deal with the varying needs and circumstances of this group of people. Environments would helpfully be drug free but this is no longer a pre-requisite for eligibility. 9

12 The objectives here are to establish at an early stage stable living arrangements within a supportive environment, which may include access to independent housing (through the public, voluntary or private sector) with non-residential support or a move to appropriate hostel or other accommodation with built-in residential or other support. A problem solving approach should be adopted to enable otherwise motivated people to be considered for a DTTO. In relation to both (i) dual diagnosis cases and (ii) homeless persons, schemes should remember to consider whether a DTTO or a Probation Order with condition of drug treatment or both represents the best road to go down. A summary of targeting criteria is provided at Annex A. 10

13 8. ELECTRONIC MONITORING Concurrent DTTO and RLO The Scottish Executive extended provision of Restriction of Liberty Orders to the High Court, all Sheriff Courts and the Stipendiary Magistrate Court on 1 May The legislation enables: Restriction of the movement of an offender aged at least 16 years, to a particular place for up to a maximum of 12 hours per day, and from a particular place for up to 24 hours per day, for a maximum length of 12 months An RLO to be made for the same offence(s) concurrently with a Probation Order or a DTTO, or concurrently with both a Probation Order and a DTTO. Where an RLO is made concurrently with a Probation Order or DTTO or both, and any one of the orders is breached and revoked, then all of the concurrent orders must be revoked. RLOs are available to the courts as a direct alternative to custody. An RLO assessment, undertaken by Social Work staff is required before an RLO can be made. This may form part of the SER. In practice it is not anticipated that there will be many advantages to concurrent imposition of RLO with DTTOs. Both orders provide, on their own, significant restrictions on the offender. A combination of both orders and the demands they make may bring a high risk of failure to both. On 27 June 2003, the Scottish Executive commenced section 47 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 which provides for remote monitoring as a condition of a DTTO. As with RLOs, an offender can be restricted to a particular place for up to 12 hours per day and from a particular place for up to 24 hours per day for a maximum length of 12 months. It is not anticipated that there will be many advantages to imposing a remote monitoring condition to a DTTOs. The DTTO on its own provides significant restrictions on the offender and the imposition of a further restrictive condition a high risk of failure to both the DTTO and the remote monitoring condition. A note on the relationship of DTTOs to other Court disposals is provided at Annex B. 11

14 9. SOCIAL ENQUIRY REPORTS (SERs) Not all criminal court appearances result in the Court request an SER. It is important to ensure that, as far as possible the Court seeks an SER in all cases where a DTTO may be an effective sentence option. The assessment process must find a way of identifying, from all SERs, the appropriate cases to be targeted for the DTTOs. A two stage process is desirable. The first stage SER screening would extract, from the total number of SERs, those suitable for specific DTTO assessment. There would then follow a second detailed assessment to confirm (or otherwise) suitability and to devise the specific treatment plan. The Social Enquiry Report is the main means by which this assessment is conveyed to the Court. SERs may identify suitable individuals, subject to the agreement of the Court, to undergo a fuller and secondary assessment of suitability for DTTO. To address these main assessment/issues; how to trigger SER requests in relevant cases; how to define, from a large annual total of SER requests, the cases to be targeted for DTTO proposals; and how to access the range of necessary assessment skills, the following is proposed. i) Given the high number of SER requests there is no alternative, for screening purposes, than to look to Criminal Justice staff, who currently prepare SERs, to identify prospective DTTO clients. For this purpose they will require clear statement of criteria to identify target group; access to consultation to assist assessment and decision making; line management supervision which assists assessment arrangements, and monitoring of performance with regard to numbers and appropriateness of recommendations. ii) A systematic programme of awareness-raising with Courts will be necessary, to develop knowledge of the Orders and when they should appropriately be considered or implemented. Briefing of Social Work staff at Court will be important to ensure that potentially suitable cases are identified and brought to the attention of the Court. iii) If the SER (with input of specialist consultation) determines that a particular client is potentially suitable for DTTO, a continuation for further reports will be sought from the Court. This will allow more detailed assessment. The importance of the first stage SER screening is emphasized by the fact that a continuation is not a step which should be taken lightly and should only be sought in the most suitable targeted cases. The purpose of the second stage is to prepare, following joint criminal justice/addiction assessment, a report for court indicating suitability or otherwise for DTTO, along with, where suitable, a fully worked out treatment programme proposal. It is recommended that a continuation of two to three weeks would be desirable for this purpose. It should be noted that, both the first SER (in which continuation is proposed) and the second assessment report should include alternative assessed proposals to court in case the DTTO option is not accepted. iv) The second stage assessment must be co-ordinated, and a report to Court prepared, by a DTTO team/designated DTTO Social Workers, who would represent the DTTO expertise for consultation at SER stage, second stage assessment and report preparation and supervision of orders. This team/staff would, for assessment purposes draw on staff in medical and addiction services. The designated team/staff will ensure consistency of approach. 12

15 It is recommended that the second stage assessment cannot be carried out with maximum reliability in a context where the client is remanded in custody. Accordingly, even if the first SER is carried out on a remanded prisoner, second stage assessment should, where possible, be community based. This allows full exploration of community treatment options, while permitting a more realistic examination of factors such as suitability and motivation. There is an implication for the model which takes the second stage assessment to a specialist team/dtto designated staff in respect of those offenders who are already clients of criminal justice or addiction services. In these cases the second stage assessment should be a joint one, but with the report and any subsequent supervision under a DTTO being carried out by the specialist team/staff. Any existing statutory orders and any subsequent orders such as Probation concurrent with DTTO should be held and worked by pre-established criminal justice staff in collaboration with the DTTO team/staff. Any pre-existing addiction related interventions would be subsumed into the DTTO treatment plan for the duration of the order. Summary of SER Procedure SER author assesses offender. If key criteria are met, consults with DTTO Team/designated social worker. With agreement of DTTO Team Leader/SSW (Criminal Justice), two to three week continuation (non-custodial) is sought for further assessment in appropriate cases. Alternative disposals should also be assessed for Court. If continuation is agreed, DTTO Team/designated social worker assumes responsibility of second stage assessment and report to Court. If DTTO is made DTTO Team/designated social worker continues with case responsibility for duration of order. If a remote monitoring condition forms part of the DTTO, the Court will inform the remote monitoring contractor who will liaise with the designated social worker. If DTTO is not made, and other Social Work disposal results this returns to Criminal Justice Team or Community Service Team, as appropriate, for allocation. If a DTTO is made with concurrent Probation Order the case responsibility will be shared between Criminal Justice Team (Probation) and DTTO Team/staff (DTTO). 13

16 10. COURT PROCEDURES (SHERIFF COURT) The Order If the court determines that a DTTO should be made, the court must explain to the offender the effect and meaning of the Order; the consequences of failure to comply; the powers of the court to vary or revoke the Order or the application of the offender or supervising officer; and the powers of the court to review the Order. In cases where remote monitoring is a condition of the Order, similar explanations should be made referring specifically to the remote monitoring condition. The offender must consent to an Order being made. The Order will specify: Name and address of offender Period of Order Details of treatment to be undertaken (including details of institution and whether it is as a resident or not) Details of testing arrangements (specifying minimum number of occasions) Date of first review The local authority and nominated supervising officer. In cases where a remote monitoring condition is imposed the Order should also specify the hours during which the offender is restricted, the place to or from which the offender is restricted, the length of the remote monitoring condition (up to a maximum of 12 months) and the name and address of the contractor responsible for monitoring compliance with the remote monitoring condition. A copy of the Order will be sent by the Sheriff Clerk by recorded delivery to the offender. A copy will also go from the Clerk to the named treatment provider(s) and to the Court Social Work Unit (for transmission to the DTTO Team). Where there is a remote monitoring condition, a copy of the Order should be faxed on the day it is made to the contractor responsible for monitoring compliance. The first review hearing date will be specified in the Order. Thereafter the date for each succeeding review (which must take place at least once a month) will be fixed at the Review itself. In cases where there is a remote monitoring condition, supervising officers should ensure that the contractor is made aware of the review dates to ensure that a compliance report can be prepared for the review hearing. The contractor will provide such reports 3 days prior to the review hearing. The social worker supervising the DTTO must serve the Order on the offender within seven days of receipt from court. Top copy to be retained on file, and a copy given to the offender. Review Hearings The review hearings should, where possible, go back to the sentencer who imposed the Order, to ensure continuity. The offender is required to attend the review, and the supervising social worker although not required by statute, will also attend and address the court as required. 14

17 If at any review the offender fails to appear, the court may issue a warrant to apprehend. The supervising officer will submit to court, by noon the preceding day, a written report of progress under the Order, including all test results, and the views of treatment providers on the treatment and testing of the offender. The contractor will send a report detailing the compliance of the offender of the remote monitoring condition no less than 3 working days before the date of the hearing to allow relevant information to be included in the written report. If, at any review the court considers the offender s progress is satisfactory the court may amend the Order to provide for each subsequent review to take place without a hearing. The review would then take place in chambers without the parties present, based solely on consideration of reports. If a review without a hearing, after considering reports, no longer thinks progress is satisfactory, the offender may be cited to appear at a hearing again, or a warrant to arrest may be issued. When the offender attends at the diet fixed to hear the warrant of citation or warrant to arrest the court can act as if it were conducting a review hearing and may amend the Order to reinstate reviews with a hearing. Variation/Revocation An application may be made to court for the variation or revocation of a DTTO in terms of section 234E of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act The application may be made by the offender or the Supervising Officer. (As inserted by section 92 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.) Applications to vary or revoke the remote monitoring condition of a DTTO may also be made by the contractor (section 234E of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act as amended by section 47(6)(a) of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003). Two related criteria should be met before an application is made, namely: that circumstances have arisen since the Order was made and, for that reason, it would be in the interests of justice for the Court to consider variation or revocation. There are no specified circumstances contained in the Act which constitute grounds for revocation or variation. (They must not, however, be used instead of breach procedures.) The following may illustrate the most common grounds for an application to revoke the order: medically certified illness over a lengthy period of time which prevents the offender from performing the Order in a satisfactory manner; the offender s conviction for outstanding or new offences resulting in a period of custody for more than 6 months or where the intervening period of custody impacts significantly on motivation or viability of treatment; the offender s move to any place where either there is no DTTO scheme in operation or the scheme in that place is unwilling to accept transfer of the Order; any other exceptional circumstances. 15

18 When such an application is received the court will issue a warrant of citation requiring the offender to attend a diet, which would normally be at an agreed time for review hearings. A warrant for arrest may be issued if the offender does not attend. Where there is an application by the supervising officer to vary or revoke an Order the offender must give consent to any changes and if the court agrees to make changes the court must explain the terms of the varied Order. The court may vary the Order by: amending or deleting any requirements of the Order; inserting further requirements; increasing the treatment/testing period provided the minimum of 6 months and maximum of 3 years are not exceeded; or revoking the Order. In respect of a remote monitoring condition the court may also: amend the address to or from which the offender is restricted; amend the hours of restriction; amend the duration of the remote monitoring period (but not extending it beyond 12 months). If the Order is revoked the court may dispose of the case in any way which would have been competent at the time the Order was made. In doing this the court should take account of the period over which the Order has been in operation. If there is a concurrent Probation Order this should be discharged when the DTTO is revoked. If there is an electronic monitoring condition of the DTTO, the contractor responsible for monitoring compliance should be advised of any variation which will affect the electronic monitoring condition (such as a change of address), or if the Order is revoked. 16

19 11. TREATMENT A range of treatment methods will be necessary to achieve the statutory objectives of reduction or elimination of dependency or propensity to misuse. The treatment range may include one or more of the following: i. Detoxification. ii. Substitute prescribing, with counselling support. iii. Individual counselling programmes with drug free and drug reduction objectives. iv. Groupwork to promote and support behaviour change. v. Day programmes, including employment training/preparation, education and life skills catch up, parenting and child care enhancement. vi. Short term residential programmes to establish and sustain overall treatment objectives. vii. Modular ancillary interventions (individual or group based) covering matters such as self esteem enhancement and assertiveness, dealing with personal abuse, health promotion, relapse prevention and employability. Treatment programmes may be complex including simultaneous or sequential use of different aspects. Continuing re-assessment will also be necessary to identify the needs of the client. These assessments should then form the basis of a care plan. The Effective Interventions Unit Digest of Assessment Tools provides guidance on the range of assessment tools that are available. In their case management role supervising officers will require an overview of the treatment undertaken. There should be a readiness to incorporate other purposeful interventions (e.g. measures such as acupuncture to address craving, stress reduction and stress management techniques) which can demonstrate effectiveness. The appropriateness of some aspects of treatment being provided on a gender-specific basis is also recognised. All elements of treatment services will require to work to clearly specified service standards, which will be regularly monitored. Adherence to standards is particularly important in view of the accountability to the Courts and the potential adverse consequences for the offender in the event of the order being ineffective. It is essential that the best possible treatment options are offered. Standards which treatment services will be expected to meet will cover the following aspects: 1. Rapid access to programmes; 2. Specified frequency and duration of treatment episodes; 3. Designated content of treatment episodes; 4. Review arrangements; 5. Liaison with supervising officers; 6. Recording of casework. Some of the treatment services best lend themselves to provision on a single or limited site basis. Others will be better obtained from a more dispersed range of service providers (although selection of limited number of sites may be desirable to ensure consistency and meeting of standards). 17

20 12. TESTING The Drug Treatment and Testing Order requires that testing be carried out at specific intervals, to ascertain whether the offender has any drug in his body during the treatment and testing period. The order will specify, for each month, the minimum number of occasions on which samples are to be provided. In addition, prior to an order being made, the Court may require a test to be carried out as part of the process of ascertaining whether the offender is dependent on, or has a propensity to misuse, drugs. The offender s consent is required before an order can be made but if consent is given this will include agreement to undergo periodic testing. Purpose The role of the test will, in the main, be to fulfil the following purposes: a) to inform the initial and continuing pattern of drug misuse; b) to augment information provided by the offender as to his/her drugs misuse; c) to inform clinical decisions with regard to treatment; d) to increase confidence in treatment on the part of the sentencer, provider, offender and wider community; and e) on occasion, to verify abstinence from specific substance misuse. Interpretation Test results need to be interpreted in the wider context of the offender s response to treatment, and should not be the over-riding factor on which the treatment process would be determined. However, the value of testing may be seen to lie in the support for, or contradiction of, information derived from the assessment of behaviour and other observed responses to treatment. The test conducted during the period of assessment will cover a range of drugs most frequently misused. Thereafter, once the order is made, testing will focus on the index drugs of misuse being addressed by treatment as set out in the DTTO. At random intervals, or if the offender s conduct and presentation suggest that it would be desirable, or at the direction of court, tests for a further range of drugs will be carried out in order to monitor the overall pattern of use. Method For each drug test, offenders will require to pass a sample of their urine. Testing will normally be carried out by dipstick analysis. This will be augmented by laboratory testing. Dipstick analysis is a helpful technique when a quick result is desirable, but the result must always be interpreted against a background of information provided by the offender. It is acknowledged that this form of testing carries a lower reliability for accuracy. If the results of the dipstick test are contested by the offender a laboratory test should be carried out to ensure greater accuracy. 18